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About the RSO The Rockford Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1934 and was incorporated nine seasons later. The RSO’s first Music Director and Manager, Arthur Zack, led the orchestra for the next 27 years, during which the Rockford Area Youth Symphony Orchestra (now Rockford Symphony Youth Orchestra) was established. Now in its 80th season, the Rockford Symphony Orchestra is more committed than ever to fulfilling its mission: to lead in the creation of vibrant music experiences that enlighten, educate, and entertain. The Rockford Symphony Orchestra is comprised of more than 65 professional musicians from the greater Rockford and Chicago area. There will be more than 50 musicians on stage for The Planets—the number of musicians on stage depends on the instrumentation needed for a specific concert. Music Director and Conductor Steven Larsen has led the Symphony since 1991. Under his direction the RSO has grown artistically, expanding the orchestra’s repertoire and attracting musicians of the highest caliber. Youth education and community outreach programs have also been expanded during his tenure, increasing the RSO’s presence in the lives of Rockford area residents. Maestro Larsen also plays the cello and enjoys woodworking, reading, and traveling. His accomplishments have been recognized through numerous awards, including the Illinois Council of Orchestras’ 2006 Conductor of the Year.

The historic Coronado Performing Arts Center opened as a silent movie palace in 1927. Following a community-wide restoration effort, the theater reopened in 2001. Since that time, the Coronado has been the performance home for the Rockford Symphony Orchestra and serves as the premiere performing arts venue for visiting world-class entertainers. Considered by many in the community as the crown jewel of Rockford, the theater is operated independently under the auspices of the City of Rockford.

About the Coronado

The RSO Youth Concert is sponsored in part by generous support from:

SMITH CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

GLOYD FAMILY FOUNDATION

Alfred & Ella Peterson

Anderson Family Foundation

3

“Music, being identical with heaven, isn’t a thing of momentary

thrills, or even hourly ones. It’s a condition of eternity.” - Gustav Holst, 1916

Gustav Theodore Holst was born on September 21, 1874 in Cheltenham,

Gloucestershire, England. He was an English composer, arranger, and teacher

who is most famous for his work for orchestra, The Planets. Holst composed

many other works throughout his life, but none ever became as well known as

The Planets.

Holst had several professional musicians in his family, and it became obvious

when he was young that he would also be a musician. He had hopes of

becoming a pianist, but was not able to because of neuritis in his right arm.

Despite his father's reservations, he pursued a career as a composer, studying

at the Royal College of Music under Charles Villiers Stanford.

Holst could not make enough money just writing music, so he

played the trombone professionally and later became a teacher.

As a teacher, he built a strong performance program at Morley

College, where he served as musical director from 1907 until 1924.

He also pioneered music education for women at St. Paul's Girls'

School, where he taught from 1905 until his death in 1934.

Holst's works were performed frequently in the early years of the

20th century, but it was not until the international success of The

Planets after the First World War that he became a well-known

figure. Holst was a shy man who never got used to being famous.

He preferred to be left in peace to compose and teach.

Holst lived most of his adult life in London, spending weekends and

school holidays at his home in Thaxted, Essex. In 1901, he married

Isobel Harrison. Their daughter Imogen Clare Holst was born in

1907. After her father’s death, she worked to make Holst’s music

more well known.

Holst died in London on May 25, 1934, at the age of 59. His ashes

were interred at Chichester Cathedral in Sussex, close to the

memorial to Thomas Weelkes, his favorite Tudor composer.

Gustav Holst

My Notes:

Music Theory Moment When writing music composers use

different kinds of notes to indicate

how long a pitch should be held.

These different types of notes

include:

Whole Note

Half Note

Quarter Note

Eighth Note

Sixteenth Note

The time signature of a piece of

music determines the duration of

each type of note in relation to other

notes. Some examples include:

The lower digit indicates a basic note

value: 2 signifies a half note, 4 refers

to a quarter note, 8 to an eighth

note, and so forth. The upper digit

indicates the number of basic note

values per measure.

w h q e s

4

Sections of the Orchestra The orchestra is made up of four sections, each with a family of instruments that are related. Blended

together the four sections create a unique and rich sound that we know as a symphony orchestra.

Violin

Horn

Piano

Harp

Drums

Bells

Marimba

Timpani

Triangle

Gong

Bassoon

Clarinet

Trumpet

Tuba

Trombone

Viola

Cello

Oboe

Flute

Question: Which instruments can you distinctly hear in which movements of The Planets?

5

Sections of the Orchestra The String Family The String family includes the violin, viola, cello, and double

bass. String instruments use vibrating strings to make their

sound. The strings are stretched across the hollow body of

the instrument and plucked or played with a bow. The pitch is

changed by shortening or lengthening the string, or by

adjusting its thickness, tension, or density.

The Woodwind Family The Woodwind family includes the flute, clarinet, oboe, and

bassoon. Woodwind instruments are made of long hollow

tubes of wood or metal. The sound is made by blowing air

through a very thin piece of shaved wood called a reed, or

across a mouthpiece. Finger holes along the instrument are

opened and closed to change the pitch.

The Brass Family The Brass family includes the horn, trumpet, trombone, and

tuba. This family of wind instruments is made of metal with a

cup-shaped mouthpiece. The player creates a vibrating

column of air inside the tube of the instrument by pressing

his/ her lips together in the mouthpiece and forcing air out

between them, as if they are making a “raspberry” sound.

The Percussion Family Percussion instruments are probably the oldest musical

instruments and include drums, bells, cymbals, or any

instrument that is struck by a hand, mallet, or stick to make a

sound. Because of this definition, the piano is actually

included in the percussion family. Some percussion

instruments produce a variety of sounds that can be tuned

such as marimba, timpani, and xylophone. Others make only

one sound that is controlled by the size and shape of the

instrument. Percussion instruments are made out of a wide

range of materials including wood, metal, and animal skins.

The Conductor An orchestra conductor may or may not also be the orchestra’s music director (the person who chooses

the music to be performed). Conductors are also musicians themselves, but they do not need to know

how to play all the instruments. The conductor spends many hours studying the score, or sheet music,

played by the musicians. It is his/her responsibility to know how all the instruments’ music fits together

for the performance. The conductor plans rehearsals to practice the music and works with individual

musicians who may need special instructions. Using a special conducting stick called a baton, the

conductor stands on a podium so that the musicians can easily see his/her hands. His/her entire body is

used to express how the music should sound, how fast it should be played, and when the musicians

should start and stop playing.

Music Theory Moment Music is written on a staff of five lines:

A clef is a symbol placed at the

beginning of a line of music that

establishes the letter names of the lines

and spaces on the staff.

Higher notes are written in Treble Clef:

Lower notes are written in Bass Clef:

Together, the treble and bass staves make

up a grand staff:

4444

6

Historical Context: 1914-1920

Before August 1914—composition of Mars August 1, 1914—Germany declares war on Russia

Autumn 1914—composition of Venus

Late 1914—composition of Jupiter

February 18, 1915—Germany begins submarine blockade of Britain

Summer 1915—composition of Saturn May 23, 1915—Italy declares war on Germany and Austria

Autumn 1915—composition of Neptune

By August 1915—composition of Uranus

Early 1916—composition of Mercury

April 6, 1917—United States enters the war

January 8, 1918—President Wilson announces his

“Fourteen Points” plan

September 29, 1918—First private performance of The Planets given in London

November 11, 1918—Germany signs Armistice with Allies

February 27, 1919—First public performance of The Planets given, minus Venus and Neptune

June 28, 1919—The Treaty of Versailles is signed

November 15, 1920—First full public performance of The Planets

Some other important things that took place during this time include:

May 1914—Mother’s Day was declared an official holiday in the United States

November 1916—Jeanette Rankin was the first woman elected to the U.S. Congress Go Deeper: What house did Ms. Rankin serve in and what state did she represent?

January 1919—The Eighteenth Amendment was ratified, establishing Prohibition

Composition of The Planets World Events

Gustav Holst wrote The Planets while World War I was taking place throughout Europe. This was a time of great change throughout the world. Spend some time researching how the world was changing during these years to gain a better understanding of the era. To get you started, there is a simple timeline below with some milestone events.

Go Deeper Timeline with more in-depth explanations for WWI: http://herb.ashp.cuny.edu/items/show/1906

Research other popular musicians and music of the time (ex: Irving Berlin)

7

The Planets Planets in order

from the Sun:

Planets in movement

order from Holst’s work:

1) Mercury 1) Mars

2) Venus 2) Venus

3) Earth 3) Mercury

4) Mars 4) Jupiter

5) Jupiter 5) Saturn

6) Saturn 6) Uranus

7) Uranus 7) Neptune

8) Neptune Earth is not included in

Holst’s piece.

Spend some time listening to The Planets as you read about each movement on the following pages.

You can listen to a custom Spotify playlist of the music at http://tinyurl.com/rsotheplanets.

As you listen and read, write down any notes in the “My Notes” sections about how the music

makes you feel, what you hear, or questions you may have.

Mars: The Bringer of War About the Planet

Fourth planet from the Sun

Seventh largest planet

One of the four terrestrial planets—composed primarily of

rock and metal with a relatively high density, slow rotation,

solid surfaces, and no rings

Named after the Roman God of War

About the Movement Read the title again: “Mars, the Bringer of War.” Mars is not simply the God of War, but brings war to the

world. In this movement, you can hear Mars approach with his unwanted gift.

The most remarkable part of “Mars, the Bringer of War” can be heard in the very first moments.

Although the music starts very quietly, you can hear a very insistent, repetitive rhythm played on a

single pitch by timpani and strings. A repeated rhythmic or melodic pattern like this is called an ostinato

(from the same Latin word that gives us “obstinate”).

Tap the beats and count them – they are in groups of five, and this is very unusual!

Music usually is organized into patterns of two or three beats (or their multiples, four, six, nine or

twelve). Usually, when composers use 5/4 time it is only for one or two measures, but Holst uses it for

8

Venus: The Bringer of Peace

the entire movement! It has an unbalanced, uncomfortable feeling. Try learning the rhythm (and some

astronomy) in 5/4 time by saying this:

This certainly isn’t a march. Marches are written at a brisk walking speed, like soldiers in a parade.

This is faster, and it feels like heavily-armed warriors running towards a battle.

Almost immediately you hear the very low brass – quietly at first, then becoming louder and louder as

they move higher and higher. The music is in a minor key, and feels both ominous and unstoppable as it

seems to come closer and closer. The trumpets, like military bugles in olden times, sound the call to

battle. Woodwinds and strings scurry madly, and an enormous explosion brings everything to a stop.

When the music resumes, it seems to be in slow motion, played very quietly, starting in the low strings

and bassoons. Little by little, more instruments join, climbing higher and louder. Suddenly, the 5/4

march resumes, with the ostinato rhythm hammered out in unison by the entire orchestra. At the

climax, Holst writes sustained, painfully dissonant harmonies to be played not forte, not fortissimo, but

fortissississimo – ffff! A brief scurrying passage returns, and the movement ends with the brass and

percussion victoriously proclaiming the dissonant harmonies on the gradually slowing ostinato rhythm.

About the Planet

Second planet from the Sun

Sixth largest planet

One of the four terrestrial planets

Named after the Roman Goddess of Love and Beauty: it may have been

named for the most beautiful deity of her pantheon because it shone the

brightest of the five planets known to ancient astronomers.

About the Movement

My Notes:

This movement is the complete opposite of Mars. No warlike brass or noisy percussion are heard here;

only soothing French horns, woodwinds, two harps, and gentle strings. The tempo is marked ‘Adagio’,

which means ‘Slowly’. Everyone plays quite softly.

Two melodic ideas appear at the start. The solo French horn plays a four note, rising scale passage,

answered in harmony by woodwinds playing a five-note descending melody. A solo violin begins a new

section, joined by the rest of the violins and the other strings. As the opening melodies return,

9

listen for harmonies that rock back and

forth between two chords. Towards the end a keyboard instrument called the celeste enters. In French,

its name means “heavenly”, and how appropriate for this movement! Having

brought us peace, Venus ends on high, shimmering chords played by flutes

and violins.

My Notes:

What is a celeste?

A celeste is a keyboard

instrument invented in

1886 by Parisian

Auguste Mustel. It is

played like a piano, but

has a bell-like sound,

similar to a music box.

It was first used in

an orchestra by

Tchiakovsky in his

ballet The Nutcracker

to represent the Sugar

Plum Fairy.

Mercury: The Winged Messenger About the Planet

Closest planet to the Sun

Smallest of the planets

One of the four terrestrial planets: in many ways similar to the Moon - its

surface is heavily cratered and very old. It additionally has regions of

relatively smooth plains.

About the Movement

In Roman mythology, the god Mercury is portrayed wearing a winged hat and winged shoes, both of

which assisted him in flying swiftly from place to place delivering messages. He was also the god of

trickery!

Mercury is also the name of the chemical element also known as quicksilver. It is a bright, silvery metal

that is liquid at room temperature. If you spill some, it scatters everywhere.

In your imagination, combine the image of Mercury, the god of messages and

trickery, zipping around on winged shoes, together with shiny, elusive quicksilver.

This will give you a good image of Holst’s music here.

Mercury’s theme is simple but daring: the three pitches of a B-flat major triad, followed by the three

pitches of an E major triad. In music theory, these two triads are as far apart as is possible, and don’t

exist together in any key, but here they are bound together in a unit. They are like two identical poles of

a magnet — they try to push each other apart, but can’t because they are fused together.

This musical idea flits swiftly back and forth among the lightest and nimblest instruments of the

orchestra — violins, woodwinds, harps — scurrying in all directions, never coming to rest. It disappears

for a moment, replaced by a very high, repeated rhythm played very softly by the first violins. It is like

Morse code.

What is Morse code, and what does it have to do with Mercury? In the 1830s, an American artist named

Samuel Morse helped develop an electric telegraph system for communication across vast distances. He

10

Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity

created a code of short and long pulses, one for each letter and number, which could be transmitted

over electrical wires. Have you ever used Google to search on the internet? Here is “Google” in Morse

code:

Even after the invention of radio, Morse code was widely used to communicate, especially to transmit

written messages which were called telegrams. In Gustav Holst’s day, Morse code was the fastest way to

send messages, and Mercury could well have been the god of the telegraph!

The Morse code is transferred to the glockenspiel (high bells), and a solo violin introduces a new melodic

idea that is gradually taken up by the entire orchestra. The ‘quicksilver’ theme from the beginning

returns, and Mercury finally disappears from view.

About the Planet

About the Movement

Fifth planet from the Sun

By far the largest planet: Jupiter is more than twice as massive as all the other

planets combined (the mass of Jupiter is 318 times that of Earth)

One of the four gaseous planets: the gas planets do not have solid surfaces, their

gaseous material simply gets denser with depth. What we see when looking at these planets is

the tops of clouds high in their atmospheres. Jupiter is about 90% hydrogen and 10% helium.

My Notes:

Why would the solar system’s largest planet make us jolly? The planet Jupiter was named after the king

of the Roman gods, who was also the god of sky and thunder. Another name for Jupiter was Jove, and

astrologers believed that people born under the sign of Jupiter/Jove were jolly and optimistic – “jovial”,

for short.

And jovial the music certainly is, marked “Allegro giocoso” (a playful Allegro) in 2/4 time. The violins

begin, brightly outlining the key of C major with a tapestry of sparkling sixteenth notes. The low brasses

play a syncopated, rhythmically vigorous introduction leading to a joyous outburst by the full orches-

tra, played fff. After a brief pause to regroup, the horns and strings play the main theme in unison,

which is then stated in harmony by the woodwinds.

Suddenly, a new melody emerges in 3/4 time as an energetic waltz. The horns introduce it, then play an

exuberant counterpoint as the other instruments enthusiastically join the dance. At the height of the

activity, the key suddenly changes and the brass interrupt, insistently returning the meter to 2/4 with a

strong rhythm played on a single chord. They have been given the duty of summoning the partyers to a

more important event, and with echoes of the movement’s first theme, the orchestra gathers to focus

attention on a new section.

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Marked ‘Andante maestoso’ (majestic Andante) and in stately 3/4 time, a new

melody is heard, first in the unison strings. It is like a hymn tune that is both

serious and joyful; solemn, yet happy. And in fact, this tune was so popular that

Holst put the words of a patriotic poem to it, and in 1921 it was published as “I

Vow to Thee, My Country”.* It continues to this day to be an important patriotic

song for citizens of the United Kingdom.

After a full-throated chorus by the entire orchestra, the music from the first part

of the movement returns. This time, the waltz whirls into a ‘Lento

maestoso’ (majestic and slow) which recalls some of the patriotic song,

leading to a breathtaking closing ‘Presto’, propelled by the full brass section.

*Listen to this hymn on The Planets Spotify playlist

Saturn: The Bringer of Old Age

Sixth planet from the Sun

Second largest planet

One of the four gaseous planets: Saturn is the least dense of the planets.

Saturn is about 75% hydrogen and 25% helium with traces of water, methane,

ammonia, and rock. Saturn's interior is hot and Saturn radiates more energy into

space than it receives from the Sun.

About the Planet

My Notes:

About the Movement For astrologers, Saturn is the opposite of Jupiter (and in fact, its sign is Jupiter’s

upside-down!). Older people sometimes look back wistfully at their youth, when they

had few responsibilities and duties, and more time to play. Saturn is said to bring

limits, boundaries, and restrictions to life, and therefore the burdens of age.

As people age, they slow down. Very old people move very slowly, and so does Saturn.

The movement opens very softly with three woodwinds and the harps rocking back

and forth on an uneasy, dissonant chord. Out of the depths the double basses introduce an idea that

seems more a complaint than a melody.

The horns enter and stop the rocking with a sustained chord that still feels unstable, and pizzicato

basses and cellos begin a four note ostinato pattern. Now the trombones solemnly intone a gloomy

chorale in B minor that is passed on to the trumpets, woodwinds, and other strings.

Soon this leads to a somber funeral march, starting quietly in the flutes and building in intensity as other

instruments join. As it reaches its peak, frantic clanging dissonances interrupt like an alarm bell,

changing the tempo to ‘Animato’ (animated, or lively). Musically, it represents a last-minute, desperate,

12

Uranus: The Magician

and unsuccessful attempt to fight off death. The complaining

double bass melody re-appears and becomes more assertive. The

music resolves into a tranquil C major Andante, and the entire

string section sings the melody, pp, in comforting serenity.

My Notes:

We all know that magicians don’t really do magic; they are illusionists, who

practice sleight-of-hand tricks working with special props and by drawing our

eyes away from what they are doing. Holst’s Uranus is a brash, flashy showman

who would be at home on the stage of a traveling carnival — and he’s also a

little creepy. He announces himself with four loud, sustained brass notes, and

after getting everyone’s attention, proceeds to razzle-dazzle you with a series of

sensational tricks. His “patter” — the speech magicians use to focus your

attention to where they want it — is a bouncing pattern in 6/4 time introduced by the three bassoons.

Traditionally, bassoons are viewed as the ‘clowns’ of the orchestra, and because of Paul Dukas’ The

Sorcerer’s Apprentice, many listeners associate the sound of the bassoons with magic (doesn’t ring a bell?

Remember Mickey Mouse with the magic broom?).

Soon he has won over the crowd, and everyone joins to sing the Magician’s theme song with great

gusto. But suddenly, the crowd falls silent. The Magician has stunned his audience with a trick that left

them gaping in amazement, and perhaps in fear. Uranus roars his four-note theme in triumph, and the

music fades into tense silence.

About the Planet Seventh planet from the Sun

Third largest planet, composed primarily of rock and various

ices

First planet discovered during modern times—William Herschel

discovered it while he was systematically searching the sky with

his telescope on March 13, 1781. It had actually been seen

many times before but ignored as simply another star (the

earliest recorded sighting was in 1690 when John Flamsteed

cataloged it as 34 Tauri). Herschel named it

the Georgium Sidus" (the Georgian Planet) in honor of his

patron, the infamous (to Americans) King George III of England;

others called it "Herschel". The name "Uranus" was first

proposed by Bode in conformity with the other planetary

names from classical mythology but didn't come into common

use until 1850.

About the Movement

Music Theory Moment An interval is the relationship

between two tones. In Western

music, the half step is the smallest

interval used.

A scale is a collection of pitches in

ascending and descending order.

Musicians use scales as a convenient

way of displaying the notes used in a

melody or harmony.

A major scale is a made up of seven

different pitches with half steps

between the third and fourth and

seventh and eighth scale degrees

and whole steps between all other

scale degrees. Music written in keys

with major scales tend to sound

happy.

A minor scale is made up of seven

different pitches while whole steps

separating adjacent tones except for

half steps between the second and

third degrees and between the fifth

and sixth degrees. Music written in

keys with minor scales tend to sound

sad.

13

My Notes:

Neptune: The Mystic About the Planet

Eighth planet from the Sun

Fourth largest planet (by diameter) - Neptune is smaller in diameter but larger in mass

than Uranus

Neptune's composition is probably similar to Uranus': various ices and rock with

about 15% hydrogen and a little helium. Like a typical gas planet, Neptune has rapid

winds confined to bands of latitude and large storms or vortices. Neptune's winds are

the fastest in the solar system, reaching 2000 km/hour.

About the Movement “Mystic” is often used interchangeably with “mystical”, and “mystical” is also used as a synonym for

“mysterious”. In Holst’s day, Neptune was the last planet in the solar system, the farthest from the sun.

Astronomers knew almost nothing about it, and that certainly made it mysterious. Neptune’s music

reflects that mystery. It begins very quietly with only a flute and the bass flute playing together. They

rock slowly between E minor and G-sharp minor harmonies, and are answered by oboes, piccolo, and

somber trombones. The harps add a chilly, crystalline backdrop, and sometimes the harmonies join

together to form a dense dissonance. In a footnote to the musical score, Holst instructs the orchestra to

always play pp with a dead tone. No warmth, no expression. The meter is the same lopsided 5/4 time as

“Mars”, but much slower (Andante). More instruments join the harmonies, but everyone plays

pianissimo with a cold, dead sound.

Holst uses several special instrumental techniques to create a strange, other-worldly effect. The two

harps, celeste, and high strings sweep up and down on quiet arpeggios, which are broken chords played

up and down from lowest to highest and back again. The strings play tremolo, with very fast, short bow

strokes producing a shimmering, brittle sound, and Holst instructs them to play ponticello, which means

playing with the bow very close to the instrument’s bridge. Ponticello bowing makes a hollow, spooky

sound that will give you goosebumps!

Gradually, all the arpeggios and tremolos fade away, leaving a quiet, unsettled chord sustained in the

strings. One by one — and still in that dead pianissimo tone — the woodwinds and then the French

horns contribute fragments of a rising scale. For the first time in this movement, two melodies stand out

slightly above the sound of the other, “dead” instruments, played by solo clarinet and solo violin. They

may have actually caught your attention so much that you didn’t notice the human voices that are now

soaring above the instruments!

Holst has brought in a female chorus — disembodied, wordless, unseen, and heard as if from a great

distance — which he indicates should be placed in a room near the stage, but should not be seen. They

take over the scales from the woodwinds and finally fade away, as if into infinite space, as the music

disappears. Neptune, already so far away as to be barely visible even through telescopes, has now

disappeared.

14

Vocabulary adagio Quite slow

allegro Fast, cheerful

andante Moderately slow or walking pace

animato Animated

arpeggio A musical technique where notes in a chord are played or sung in sequence, one after

the other, rather than ringing out simultaneously

astrology The study of the supposed influences of the stars on human affairs by their positions in

relation to each other

astronomy The science of the heavenly bodies and of their sizes, motions, and composition

beat Regular pulsation; a basic unit of length in musical time

chord Simultaneous combination of three or more tones that constitute a single block of

harmony

counterpoint The art or technique of setting, writing, or playing a melody or melodies in

conjunction with another, according to fixed rules

dissonance Combination of tones that sounds discordant and unstable, in need of resolution

forte Loud

fortissimo Very loud

harmony The simultaneous combination of notes and the ensuing relationships of intervals and

chords

largo Broad; very slow

lento Slow

melody A pleasing series of musical notes that form the main part of a song or piece of music

meter Organization of rhythm in time; the grouping of beats into larger, regular patterns,

notated as measures

movement Complete, self-contained part within a larger musical work

mythology A set of stories, traditions, or beliefs associated with a particular group or the history of

an event, arising naturally or deliberately fostered

neuritis Continuous pain in a nerve, associated with paralysis and sensory disturbances

ostinato A continually repeated musical phrase or rhythm

pianissimo Very soft

piano Soft, when referring to a dynamic (volume) marking in music

pizzicato Plucking the strings of a violin or other stringed instrument with one's finger

presto Very fast

rhythm The “beat” of music; the regular pattern of long and short notes

syncopated To place the accents on beats that are normally unaccented

tempo The speed at which a passage of music is or should be played

tremolo Rapid repetition of a note, creating a trembling effect

15

Vocabulary: Crossword Puzzle

Across

3. This movement in The Planets uses a female chorus at the end

4. A tempo marking in music that means animated or lively

6. This movement in The Planets has a unique 5/4 rhythm

9. The study of the universe and its contents outside of the Earth’s atmosphere

10. The city where Holst spent most of his adult life

12. The timpani are a member of this instrument family

14. In June 1919, five months before the first public performance of The Planets, this treaty was signed

15. The last name of the composer of The Planets

17. The month the first full public performance of The Planets was given

18. The Roman goddess of love and beauty

20. The King of the Roman gods

Down

1. The planet closest to the Sun

2. This family of the orchestra includes the horn,

trumpet, trombone, and tuba

5. The study of how the positions, motions, and

properties of the planets affect people and events

on Earth

7. The name of the performing arts center where

the Rockford Symphony Orchestra performs

8. Mercury is also the name of the chemical element

known as this

11. The third largest planet, composed primarily of

rock and various ices

13. The instrument that Holst played professionally

16. A keyboard instrument invented in 1886, with a

bell-like music box sound

19. The planet astrologers consider the opposite of

Jupiter

Created on TheTeachersCorner.net Crossword Maker

16

A Final Note Whether the Youth Concert is your first time hearing a live symphony orchestra performance, or your first time in the Coronado Performing Arts Center, we hope you have a wonderful time! We also hope you will want to come again, either to hear the RSO, the RSYO, or another orchestra performance. So that you’ll know more about what to expect, here are some FAQs—frequently asked questions… 1. What do I wear to a concert?

Well, many years ago people got quite dressed up when they came to a concert. These days people dress more casually. Dress comfortably, but keep in mind that it is a somewhat serious performance so you may want to dress up a little more than you normally would on a school day.

2. Where do I sit?

When you arrive at the theater an usher will help your class find the section of seats assigned to your group. If you come to a regular evening performance you may be assigned a seat, but for the Youth Concert you’ll just sit in a section of seats.

3. When is the ‘right’ time to clap?

Applause is something that the musicians definitely appreciate! They like knowing that they are playing something you enjoy. A good way to know when to applaud is to watch the conductor. When his/her arms go down by their sides at the end of a piece, it usually means it is finished.

4. What if I need to use the restroom during the concert?

It is certainly a good idea to use the restroom before the concert. The Youth Concert is about 50 minutes long and there isn’t an intermission. Getting up in the middle of the performance is distracting to other audience members, but if you have to do so, please make sure you let your teacher know.

5. Can I take pictures of the musicians?

We think it’s great that you might want to remember your experience! However, using a camera or cell phone to take pictures during the performance, especially if the flash goes off, is very disturbing to the musicians who are concentrating very hard. Pictures are not allowed.

Sources This Study Guide was compiled by the RSO Staff and includes original content as well as information from a variety of sources including:

Classicsforkids.com DiscoveryEducation.com ImageArcade.com Nineplanets.org Skyandtelescope.com TheTeachersCorner.net Wikipedia.com Notes on each movement of The Planets written by RSO Music Director Steven Larsen

Gustav Holst: A Biography, by Imogen Holst Oxford University Press, 1969 Holst: The Planets, by Richard Greene Cambridge University Press, 1995 Music In Theory and Practice, Volume I Bruce Benward and Gary White The McGraw Hill Companies, 1997

Join the Rockford Symphony for concerts throughout the Season!!

Student tickets are available for all performance for just $7.

More information at RockfordSymphony.com